Don't Miss! Picks of the Fest for Thursday & Friday

The Festival team has been scouring the programme and we've picked out 6 must-see movies for the first two full days of the Festival: Thursday 20 and Friday 21 June. Take a look at these early Festival gems

The Deep (20 & 21 June)
How did one sole fishing boat wreck surviver endure almost nine hours in the frozen sea? This Icelandic adventure directed by Baltasar Kormákur is fascinating study of a reluctant national hero set against breathtaking seascapes. Nominated for The Audience Award, this is the perfect screening to kick off your opportunity to have your SAY at EIFF. (And don't forget to tweet your thoughts using #edfilmfestSAY!)

Beijing Flickers (20 & 22 June)
Join us for the UK Premiere of Zhang Yuan's Beijing Flickers. Screening in the Directors' Showcase, it's the story of a boy who, following the disastrous pursuit of his dog, Lucky, almost ends up in jail. Life on the periphery is explored in this energetic film.

C.O.G. (20 & 21 June)Kyle Patrick Alvarez returns to EIFF with this sweet and humourous adaptation of one of memoirist David Sedaris’s most hilarious autobiographical essays. Wry humour and sharp observation tousle with questions of sexuality and religion in this wry and entertaining International Premiere.

Shooting Bigfoot (21 & 22 June)
Have your SAY on this Audience Award-nominated documentary about a group of harmless yet eccentric Bigfoot trackers. An intrepid young British filmmaker travels deep into the American heartland to find the true story behind the likes of Harry and the Hendersons. But are these Bigfoot enthusiasts all that they seem?

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction (20 & 22 June)
One of the world's greatest, and most elusive, living actors is Harry Dean Stanton. Captured by master cinematographer and EIFF patron Seamus McGarvey, this intimate and atmospheric portrait captures the enigma and charisma of the deep man. David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Sam Shepard, Kris Kristofferson and Debbie Harry also provide testimony in this UK Premiere in the Films on Film strand.

Paris Countdown (20 & 22 June)
Forget the Hangover franchise and have your SAY on Paris Countdown: a high-octane thriller in which two ageing nightclub owners have the worst night of their lives... but will it be their last? The UK Premiere of director Edgar Marie’s debut feature, it's a stylish, dramatic feature bursting with action, fateful events, and a clubland score.

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